T's eating vertabrates.

[2oCHEVYo0]

I know it has been argued alot that tarantula's shouldn't eat invertabrates because the calcium is bad for them. But if a tarantula eats say, a snake or something it doesn't digest the bones right? Because the enzymes a tarantula has can only breakdown soft tissue and juices. I know if a spider were to consume calcium it would be bad, but I thought calcium was actually stored in the bone itself and not on the outside. So how exactly would the calcium be absorbed? IDK, maybe a stupid question. Just thought about it last night and made me wonder all day today! lol

Only curious, not thinking of feeding my T's any invertabrates. Just need an answer!!!

 

[Mack&Cass]

I think you mean vertebrates (mice, lizards, etc).

Cass

 

[2oCHEVYo0]

woopsy :wall: yes, that is what I meant! lmao, now I feel dumb :8o

 

[Musicwolf]

woopsy :wall: yes, that is what I meant! lmao, now I feel dumb :8o

Don't feel too dumb - I think you've made a valid point, but I never bought into the calcium argument anyway. Safety for the T, and easier cleanup are the arguments that stear me away from ever using vertebrate feeders.

 

[Londoner]

Don't feel too dumb - I think you've made a valid point, but I never bought into the calcium argument anyway.

Agreed. The "calcium" argument always gets thrown out as a fact on vert feeding threads. It doesn't seem to matter how many times people point out that there's no reliable evidence to support that theory. The truth is nobody knows what causes the molting problems some Ts fed on verts seem to experience. It may well be completely unrelated to diet. Until proper research is carried out into this, we can't say for sure either way. I don't feed verts but it has nothing to do with "calcium" worries.

 

[2oCHEVYo0]

I always just thought people throw the argument out because they love all animals and feel its almost just like pitting two T's together.

I've never seen evidence that calcium could harm a spider. But IDK, maybe it's the protein that gives them a difficult time molting. Nah, that sounds illogical as well. lol

 

[tarantulaeddie0]

Lol

I knew i missed a point in my post i just did. Read it when u get a chance.

Eddie

 

[aquaArachnid]

I've always stuck with the cricket diet and occasionally offering my T's a mouse here and there

 

[galeogirl]

I fed a T. blondi a thawed pinkie once when one of my snakes refused it before a molt. Cleaning up mouse goo cured me of ever doing that again.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

As far as I remember, the source of the "calcium is bad for tarantulas" came from an article Darrin Vernier (ATS president) wrote and put on his Golden Phoenix Exotica website (which is offline) many years back. At least that is where I first heard of such a thing. I don't remember much about the article itself since as far as I know it wasn't published in a journal and can't be referenced. Perhaps if someone really wanted to find out more they can try contacting him and getting more details.

- Lonnie

 

[micheldied]

Most bones end up in the bolus anwyays.